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Young composers invited to put their skills to the test for the 2nd annual Creative Composer’s Competition

by admin on April 01, 2012

Deadline for entry: June 30, 2012

Young composers from across Canada are invited to put their creative skills to the test for the second annual Creative Composer’s Competition.

Sponsored by CONSERVATORY CANADA™, Mayfair Music Publishing, and Long & McQuade, the competition is open to Canadian students of all ages. “We were thrilled by the level of talent in last year’s competition and we’re excited to hear what people will come up with the second time around,” says CONSERVATORY CANADA™ national executive director, Victoria Warwick.

More than 80 students participated in last year’s competition, with top prize taken by Venessa Lachance of Hearst, Ontario.

This year, students have until June 30 to submit their composition through the CONSERVATORY CANADA™ website. Entries may be written for any instrumentation, in any musical style, and will be evaluated by a panel of adjudicators.

Winners will be announced at the CONSERVATORY CANADA™ Convocation in November. Prizes will be awarded for the top 12 submissions, with the first place winner receiving a $500 Gift Card from Long & McQuade and a Roland R-05 Digital Hand-Held Recorder. Winning compositions will also be included in a new Mayfair Music Publication.

“This competition is a unique opportunity for budding composers to receive constructive feedback from professionals in the field, and to present their work to a large audience,” notes Warwick. The top six compositions chosen by the judges will be posted online and the public will be invited to cast their vote for the winner, she explains.

“Composition is an integral part of Conservatory Canada’s Contemporary Idioms program, and we’re delighted to give students a chance to showcase their work,” she adds.

Please visit www.conservatorycanada.ca for full contest details.

About CONSERVATORY CANADA™
CONSERVATORY CANADA™ is a national charitable organization that focuses on advancing the Performing Arts through music education. With roots dating back to 1891, our accredited centre of excellence promotes musical achievement through a comprehensive program of study, evaluation and recognition for students and teachers in every region of Canada.

Canadian Rock Icon Kim Mitchell Set to Perform for Attendees of 4th Annual CDMN Canada 3.0 2012 Digital Media Forum

by admin on April 01, 2012

2,000 attendees expected to converge in Stratford April 24-25 to accelerate Canada’s digital future

Highlighting Canada’s ability to compete on a global stage, Sarnia native and rock icon Kim Mitchell will be performing the evening of April 24th as part of the Canadian Digital Media Network’s 4th annual CDMN Canada 3.0 digital media forum.

Mitchell, who was lead singer/writer and guitarist in ‘alternative’ band Max Webster before launching a solo career that continues to this day, is known for breakout hits ‘Go for Soda’ and ‘Patio Lanterns’, and will no doubt be a big hit himself with attendees of Canada’s premier digital media forum.

“Through Canada 3.0 2012, we’re demonstrating that Canadians can aspire to compete on a global stage, much like Kim Mitchell has done as a performer,” said Kevin Tuer, Managing Director, CDMN. “We’re confident that Canada can be a leader in the global digital economy, and Canada 3.0 brings together all sectors in industry, government, and academia to make that a reality.”

After three decades, three Juno awards and numerous gold and multiplatinum album sales, Mitchell accepted an additional challenge: his first ‘day job’. Six years later, he has become the number one afternoon drive announcer in the GTA at Corus’s flagship station, Q107 in Toronto, a rating that makes him the most listened-to announcer in the country with males 25 to 54. It’s through these achievements and more that Mitchell has earned celebrity status in Canada.

The spotlight will also be shining on an impressive array of speakers from other walks of life at Canada 3.0 2012, adding to the experience for the anticipated 2,000 registrants. Among the many speakers are:

- Lynda Brown-Ganzert, Vice-President Nordicity (West)
- David Fransen, Consul General of Canada in Los Angeles
- Mathew Ingram, Senior Writer with GigaOM.com
- Mark Barrenechea, CEO of OpenText
- Tom Perlmutter, Chair of the National Film Board of Canada
- John Stackhouse, Editor-in-Chief of the Globe and Mail
- Martin Soltys, Founder & CEO of Transmedia Entertainment Partners Ltd., and co-founder of restaurant chain Pete & Marty’s
- Lisa von Sturmer, CEO and Founder, Growing City

Organizers of the Canada 3.0 forum have worked to ensure that recommendations made at last year’s event were acted upon and as a result, staged cross-Canada workshops over the past six months to determine the digital media needs and aspirations of each region. Opinions from industry, academia and government were distilled to create the topic streams at Canada 3.0 which include: Connectivity; Productivity; Content; Talent; and Access to Capital.

“The grassroots input, best practices and lessons learned we’ve collected from the cross-Canada tour has shaped the program for this year’s forum, and will be reflected in the content and topics discussed,” said Tuer.

The “Moonshot” goal of ‘anyone can do anything online in Canada by 2017′ has been the key focus of the forum over the past few years, Tuer said. The forum is once again being hosted in Stratford, which has become an epicentre for the arts with the Stratford Shakespeare Festival, and for digital media innovation with the Stratford Institute and University of Waterloo Stratford campus, which bring arts and sciences together. The Intelligent Communities Forum (ICF) named the City of Stratford a Top Seven Intelligent Community of 2011 on the basis of its communications infrastructure and digital media adoption within the community.

Registration is in full swing for the forum which is just over a month away, being staged April 24-25. Early bird registration ends at 5 p.m. EST on Friday, March 23rd. Full information on the forum is available at: www.canada30.ca and you can follow CDMN Canada 3.0 2012 on Twitter @Can3_0 or join the conversation using #CDA30.

About CDMN Canada 3.0 2012
CDMN Canada 3.0 2012 is a forum organized by the Canadian Digital Media Network (CDMN) www.cdmn.ca focused on advancing Canada’s strength in digital media. CDMN encourages job creation and increases global competitiveness by linking Canada’s leading digital media centres with industry, government and academia.

15 Things You Should Know About the Canadian Music Business

by admin on March 29, 2012

Canada is hot. The market north of the border continues to yield talent that scales the Billboard charts and drives sales worldwide, from Justin Bieber to Michael Bublé, Drake to Deadmau5, Avril Lavigne to Arcade Fire.

These acts, among many others, are nominees for Canada’s Juno Awards, presented April 1 in Ottawa. But before the Junos comes Canadian Music Week, the music festival, conference and exhibition that taking place March 21-25 in Toronto, drawing artists, executives and fans. In recognition of CMW’s 30th anniversary, Billboard Magazine offers 30 things you should know now about the Canadian music business. We’ve put together 15 of them here.

1. Canada is the world’s sixth-largest music market. It ranks in sixth place in digital sales, seventh in physical sales and 10th in performance rights revenue. Digital trends: Internet users, 26.2 million; broadband households, 9.5 million; smartphone users, 8.1 million. Recorded music by sector (2010): physical sales, 66%; digital sales, 29%; performance rights, 5%. (All data according to IFPI.)

2. The Independent Digital Licensing Agency offers digital distribution, royalty collection and administration, and help securing capital financing primarily for independent labels. IDLA is owned by its independent label members and offers everyone the same 9% administration fee without a fixed term. Unlike CD Baby or TuneCore, there is no upfront fee.

3. The Polaris Music Prize is a jury-chosen cash award for the best album of the year without regard to genre or sales. Held each September, it’s adjudicated by about 200 selected music journalists, broadcasters and bloggers, and a final “grand jury” the night of the event. Since 2006, the winners have been Final Fantasy, Patrick Watson, Caribou, Fucked Up, Karkwa and, in 2011, Arcade Fire.

4. Numerous government and private grants and no-cost loans are available to Canadian musicians for a range of career-development activities. Funding sources include the Toronto Arts Council, Canada Council for the Arts, Ontario Media Development Corp., Foundation Assisting Canadian Talent on Recordings and MuchFACT. Almost all the provincial music industry associations have grant programs, such as Music BC and Manitoba Film & Sound. There’s also the Radio Starmaker Fund, funded by private broadcasters.

5. Slaight Music, co-founded by Canadian radio industry heir Gary Slaight, has invested, sponsored and donated about $2 million to more than 20 artists and 14 music-related organizations, including the Polaris Music Prize, Unison Fund, Juno Awards, the Canadian Country Music Assn. Humanitarian Award, Dixon Music Hall, Honey Jam and the Canadian Music Managers Forum. All funding decisions are made by Slaight and business partner Derrick Ross-there is no application process. The Slaight family sold Standard Broadcasting in 2007 for $1.1 billion. Slaight will be honored for his work on March 31 during Juno Week by the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences.

6. Dance-pop band These Kids Wear Crowns, signed to EMI Music Canada, is now managed by Coalition Entertainment (Simple Plan, Finger Eleven), and the group’s album, Jumpstart, is getting a global release. In Australia, where the act has toured three times, the title track is almost double-platinum (140,000 units). The album is also out in New Zealand, Southeast Asia, Japan and France, and will soon arrive in another 14 territories.

7. There are many synch opportunities for acts in Canadian TV productions. Among the current Canadian shows various music supervisors are placing tracks in are “Degrassi,” “Flashpoint,” “Arctic Air,” “Lost Girl,” “The L.A. Complex,” “Rookie Blue,” “Heartland,” “Dussault Inc.,” “Michael: Tuesdays & Thursdays” and “Mr. D.” Among recently licensed tracks are Broken Social Scene’s “Sweetest Kill,” Hooded Fang’s “Den of Love,” Land of Talk’s “It’s Okay,” Wren Kelly’s “Jump,” Winston Hauschild’s “Lonely,” Leeroy Stagger’s “I Believe in Love” and Kuba Oms’ “Ride On.”

8. The Sheepdogs, the ’70s-styled rock band that won Rolling Stone’s magazine cover competition last summer along with a record deal with Atlantic, also landed a deal with Bedlam Music Management (City and Colour, Dinosaur Bones, Monster Truck). The band has finished recording an album with Black Keys drummer Patrick Carney. Meanwhile, the band will play select U.S. dates from March to June, including South by Southwest and Coachella. The Sheepdogs’ 2010 album, Learn & Burn, is gold in Canada.

9. For Live Nation Canada, the first quarter includes national tours by Canadian acts like Jann Arden, Hedley and Simple Plan. In April, Johnny Reid kicks off a 27-date tour. that ends at Halifax Metro Centre on May 16 with a lone date scheduled on July 13 at Calgary’s Scotiabank Saddledome. Road warrior Bryan Adams also launches his first full Canadian tour in 20 years on April 11 in Newfoundland, ending June 22 at the MTS Center in Winnipeg. Top upcoming tours by non-Canadians include Madonna, Van Halen, Coldplay, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Neil Diamond and Iron Maiden.

10. The Air Canada Centre in Toronto, which ranked as one of Billboard’s top 10 highest-grossing arenas with a 15,000-plus capacity, will host Van Halen (March 17), Nickelback (April 22), Red Hot Chili Peppers (March 27-28), Bryan Adams (May 3) and Il Divo (May 19), with other bookings pending.

11. Cirque du Soleil production “Dralion” in January opened the busiest year since 2010 for the K-Rock Center in Kingston, Ontario, an SMG Canada venue. Bookings at the 7,000-capacity building this year include shows by Megadeth, Deep Purple, Hedley and Jann Arden with upcoming dates by Billy Currington, Bryan Adams and Johnny Reid.

12. Management company/label Coalition Music (Simple Plan, Our Lady Peace, Finger Eleven, Justin Nozuka) purchased a 12,000-square-foot building in 2010 that was once a convent. The company built a large recording studio with an SSL board, a soundstage/showcase room in the former chapel and plenty of rehearsal space (the nuns’ bedrooms). It also operates a “music business for musicians” school. The Artist Entrepreneur program starts April 16.

13. According to Music Canada, the trade organization representing the major labels, “the digital market is still relatively untapped.” ITunes, Slacker, Rdio, 7digital, SiriusXM, HMVDigital, Zune, Rara and eMusic have all expanded into Canada; Pandora Radio isn’t available; and Spotify is reportedly finalizing deals with the labels. Among the Canadian-owned legal digital services are phone companies Bell Mobility, Telus, Rogers’ urMusic, Research in Motion’s BBM Music and Galaxie Mobile, and broadcasting networks CBC Music and Astral Radio (music and music video). Also operating are online store Puretracks, Internet radio Mediazoic and Motime for mobile content.

14. The most recent estimates from the Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada (SOCAN) forecast February royalty distributions of $39.3 million, including about $12 million from cable TV, $10 million from radio airplay and $2 million from satellite radio. The total figure represents an increase of 7% across all distribution pools except concerts, international and private copying. “Once a final decision has been made by the courts regarding [pending digital copyright issues], SOCAN will work toward distributing to members as soon as possible the monies collected” for those uses (Billboard.biz, Dec. 6, 2011).

15. Walk Off the Earth had 30,000 subscribers on YouTube before its cover of Gotye’s “Somebody That I Used to Know” went viral-amassing 69 million views for the video of the quintet playing the song on one guitar. Union Label Group founder Matt Colyer stepped in as manager and the group has signed with Columbia. At the time, the band had seven songs in the can co-produced with Justin Koop (Grade, Silverstein). It’s now finishing up the album.

By Karen Bliss, Toronto

http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/industry/global/canadian-music-week-15-things-you-should-1006528352.story

New Addition to the CanadianMusicians.com Family

by Leah Ison on March 15, 2012

Well, hello there Canadian music industry folk! My name is Leah Ison, and I am one of the newest members of team CanadianMusicians.com. I could not be more thrilled to get this opportunity and connect with each and everyone of you.

I join the team at CanadianMusicians.com as an Arts supporter, which most definitely includes the music industry. Especially Canadian music. With some hands on experience in the country music scene where I worked with artists such as, Brett Kissel, Danny Hooper and Tracy Millar, and an Arts and Cultural Management certificate under my belt, I feel I have a lot to bring to the table.

Being Social Media Manger for CanadianMusicians.com is something that suits me just fine! I love social media and really enjoy making connections with people who have a story to tell. I believe that becoming a member at CanadianMusicians.com allows you to tell your story, and in turn allows others to see it. No matter how you are involved in the Canadian music industry, you are truly supported here.

If you have any questions at all, please do not hesitate to contact me at leah@canadianmusicians.com. As a social media manager I am alway connected and here for you!

Sony Network Entertainment’s Music Unlimited Service Live in Canada

by admin on March 13, 2012

Sony’s Cloud-based Digital Music Service Now Available in 14 Countries World Wide.

FOSTER CITY, Calif. Sony Entertainment Network today announced the debut of the Music Unlimited cloud-based digital music subscription service in Canada where users can access millions of songs on multiple devices like PlayStation®3, Android™ handsets, PCs, Sony BRAVIA® HDTVs and Blu-ray™ Disc players.

Originally launched in December 2010, the Music Unlimited service features an ever expanding global catalog of over 15 million licensed songs(1) including all major labels, leading independent labels, and major publishers worldwide. With the addition of Canada, and the recent launch in Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden in January, the service is now available in a total of 14 countries also including Australia, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, New Zealand, Spain, United Kingdom, and United States. The Music Unlimited service is now available in more countries than any other service, offering users across the globe access to music where and when they want it.

“Consumers around the world are craving a digital music service that provides access to their favorite music anytime, anywhere in the most simple and convenient way,” said Tim Schaaff, President of Sony Network Entertainment. “Today, the Music Unlimited service reaches more countries than any other digital music subscription service, and we’ll continue to roll-out the service in new territories and add new features and devices.

“Achieving this milestone of 14 countries reinforces our commitment to bringing the Music Unlimited service to a very wide audience who can enjoy an all-access pass to millions of songs in the home or on the go through the devices that are most convenient to them,” Schaaff continued.

Through a single account, users can sign-in and access the Music Unlimited service on numerous connected devices including any PC, Android™ mobile devices including Sony Xperia™ handsets, as well as 2010, 2011, 2012, and future models of Sony BRAVIA® HDTVs, Blu-ray Disc™ players, Blu-ray Disc™ Home Theatre Systems, as well as PlayStation®3 (PS3™), and PlayStation®Vita (PS Vita). The Music Unlimited service is also coming soon to other Canadian devices including PSP® (PlayStation®Portable), Sony Tablet, and Sony Walkman®.

Music Unlimited Features
With Premium and Basic monthly subscription plans(2), the Music Unlimited service offers a breadth of content and easy music discovery features.

The Premium plan ($9.99) is ideal for music lovers who want full control of the entire Music Unlimited catalog, including premium channels and on-demand access to millions of songs. Both Premium and Basic ($3.99) subscribers enjoy ad-free radio channels, and the ability to add owned music to the cloud with the Music Sync(3) feature that matches songs and playlists from a PC to your personal cloud library and access across all enabled devices.

Among the latest features for both plans and available on the Music Unlimited PS3™, the PS Vita system, and PC applications, “My Channels,” gives users ultimate control by building custom radio stations based on their favorite artists. Simply type in the name of the artist and a new station is populated with songs from that artist and others similar in style.

By studying users’ listening habits, incorporating their ‘like/dislike’ song ratings, analyzing their existing music collections and more, the Music Unlimited service adapts to users’ music preferences and constantly tailors music channels to offer the most compatible and enjoyable list of songs. The more a user listens, the more uniquely personalized the music channels become.

New subscribers are welcome to try 30 days free of the Premium plan and can visit www.MUnlimited.com for further details.

Johnny Reid, K’NAAN and The Sheepdogs to perform live on the 32nd ANNUAL GENIE AWARDS

by admin on March 05, 2012

Plus special tribute to Best Original Song nominees by figure skating stars Joannie Rochette, Jamie Salé & David Pelletier.

Live performances by three of Canada’s worldwide chart-topping musical acts plus a special tribute by champion figure skaters to the Best Original Song nominees have been announced for the 32nd ANNUAL GENIE AWARDS on CBC-TV on March 8, 2012 at 8 p.m. (8:30 NT).

Singing sensation Johnny Reid, Saskatchewan rockers The Sheepdogs, and global phenomenon K’NAAN will augment the broadcast with live musical performances at the Genies, honouring the best achievements in Canadian film. Plus, a special tribute to this year’s Best Original Song nominees will be presented by figure skating stars Joannie Rochette, Jamie Salé and David Pelletier.

Reid will perform his newest single “Fire It Up” for the first time on live television. Winner of the 2009 Juno Award for Country Album of the Year (for “A Place Called Love”), Reid has sold more than half a million copies of his music in Canada alone and is the winner of 13 Canadian Country Music Awards.

K’NAAN’s “Wavin’ Flag” became a global sensation after it was chosen as the official anthem of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. K’NAAN will perform a track from his newly-released EP titled “More Beautiful Than Silence.” The EP release is a set up for his new album Country God or The Girl which is to be released this spring and features collaborations with Bono, Nas, Nelly Furtado and Keith Richards.

Retro-style rockers The Sheepdogs went from Saskatoon to the cover of the Rolling Stone last year. They have been busy touring Canada and the U.S. in support of their latest release, “Learn & Burn” and are 2012 Juno Award nominees for Single of the Year, Rock Album of the Year and New Group of the Year.

Adding some special flair to the show are the ‘rock stars’ of the figure skating world: six-time Canadian champion and bronze medalist in the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics, Joannie Rochette, and World Champions, Olympic Gold medal winners, Jamie Salé and David Pelletier. They will present a special performance to honour the Best Original Song nominees, one which Rochette promises viewers “will be something unlike they have ever seen.”

“For a skater to be asked to be part of the Genie Awards is a great honour. I am sure many people will wonder what our role will be. All I can say is it will be very special, creative and no doubt a highlight of my career,” said Pelletier.

All songs nominated for Best Original Song can be heard online at CBC MUSIC (www.cbcmusic.ca) – the free new digital music service designed to connect Canadians to the music they love. With a choice of 40 different web radio stations, 14 distinct genre-based communities, and music from nearly 1,000 major and independent music companies, CBC MUSIC provides listeners with access to the very best Canadian and International music.

As previously announced by CBC and the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television, Andrea Martin and George Stroumboulopoulos will host the 32nd ANNUAL GENIE AWARDS on Thursday, March 8, which will be broadcast from Toronto on CBC Television at 8 p.m. (8:30 NT). Joining Martin and Stroumboulopoulos, rising TV and film star Rossif Sutherland will serve as the voice of the broadcast.

Prior to the televised coverage, www.cbc.ca/Live/GenieAwards will bring all the excitement and glamour of the CBC Live Red Carpet. Canadian supermodel Stacey McKenzie will host the Genie Awards Red Carpet live stream for CBC Live from 5 to 5:30 p.m. ET, sharing an exclusive look at the arrivals, red carpet fashion and pre-gala emotions. Fans can join in the conversation on Twitter via @CBCLive using the hashtag #GenieAwards.

The Genie Awards Gala Pre Show brings fans the non-televised broadcast portion of the awards gala live from 6 to 6:45 p.m. ET on CBC Live. And then from 7 to 8 p.m. ET it’s the Genie Awards Gala and Backstage Lounge. Audiences can watch the live stream of the awards show online at CBC Live, where commercial breaks will be replaced by exclusive backstage access and interviews with presenters, nominees and winners, hosted by CBC Live’s Jamey Ordolis, who will also be taking questions for the stars on Twitter via @CBCLive.

About the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television
Established in 1979, the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television is a national, non-profit, professional association dedicated to the promotion, recognition and celebration of exceptional achievements in Canadian film, television and digital media. Unifying industry professionals across Canada, the Academy is a vital force representing all screen-based industries.

About CBC/Radio-Canada
CBC/Radio-Canada is Canada’s national public broadcaster and one of its largest cultural institutions. The Corporation is a leader in reaching Canadians on new platforms and delivers a comprehensive range of radio, television, Internet, and satellite-based services. Deeply rooted in the regions, CBC/Radio-Canada is the only domestic broadcaster to offer diverse regional and cultural perspectives in English, French and eight Aboriginal languages, plus seven languages for international audiences. In 2011, CBC/Radio-Canada celebrated 75 years of serving Canadians and being at the centre of the democratic, social and cultural life of Canada.